Museum of Tropical Queensland

The Museum of Tropical Queensland is the only branch of the Queensland Museum north of Brisbane on Flinders Street in Townsville.

Our focus is on researching and interpreting the cultural and natural heritage of tropical Queensland.

The present museum opened in 2000 on the site of an earlier, smaller building. Its new and modern displays explore life in the tropics from pre-historic times to the modern era.

The star attraction is the HMS Pandora gallery. Sent to catch the famous Bounty and her mutinous crew, the Pandora sank off the coast of Cape York in 1791. Hundreds of amazing artefacts have been recovered from the wreck and are on display.

The most popular area for kids is the MindZone, a fun interactive science centre. Other galleries celebrate the rainforest, corals and marine creatures from the deep sea and fossil past.

We also host a series of visiting displays from other museums. This brings fresh and engaging content that locals might not get a chance to see.

What's On

Museum of Tropical Queensland | Open

The Museum of Tropical Queensland is the only branch of the Queensland Museum north of Brisbane on Flinders Street in Townsville.
Open Hours
Daily: 9:30am to 5pm
Anzac Day (25 April): 1pm to 5pm
Closed: Christmas Day, Good Friday
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Permanent Exhibitions | Museum of Tropical Queensland

Our permanent exhibitions showcase aspects of the natural and cultural heritage of North Queensland.
Colour - Secret Language of the Reef
Colour: Secret Language of the Reef, is a new interactive exhibition which explores how coral and marine c...

Colour - Secret Language of the Reef

Location Level Two
Permanent
Colour: Secret Language of the Reef, is a new interactive exhibition which explores how coral and marine creatures on the Great Barrier Reef use colour, light, patterns and textures to communicate.
Photograph of Ma...

Discover More Talks 2017

Held on the second Tuesday of most months, our long-running Discover More talk series continues to showcase the work of North Queensland researchers and specialists.
The 2017 Discover More series begins with a talk about the growth and development...